19/09/2025

September 19, 2025

🏗 🚧 🌏 🛠 🚀 🦺 ♻ 🤖 🧱 🏛 🧰

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

🚨 Safety Updates

Safe Work Australia has launched new dashboards for its Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset (BOHD) on the Our Data. Your Stories. website. The interactive tools let users explore hazards by occupation, view risks linked to specific jobs, and customise charts. Feedback on the experimental dataset is encouraged from users.

Run by the Local Government Association Workers’ Compensation Scheme, the public mock trials provide insights into the legal framework around work health and safety laws with representatives from Sparke Helmore Lawyers and SafeWork SA.

✒ Headlines & Industry

Fourth-generation farmer Charlie Prell explains how after years of drought and falling commodity prices, wind turbines helped secure his farm’s future. But he says some developers have left scars that still fuel distrust.

Mobile Crisis Construction (MCC), co-founded by WA engineers Nic Matich and Blake Stacey, deploys mobile block factories that recycle rubble into interlocking, mortar-free blocks for rapid rebuilding. Housed in containers, these units transform local waste into earthquake, fire, and cyclone-resistant blocks. Currently aiding Ukraine’s war recovery, MCC aims to expand global disaster response and support Indigenous housing projects in Australia.

A construction finance technology company is leading class action lawsuits on behalf of subcontractors against the governments of the UK and Australia over their failure to protect subcontractor payments.

Australia aims to cut emissions by 62–70% by 2035, a steep but criticized target as experts call for higher ambition. The government pledged A$7 billion to decarbonize industry and support renewables. Rising climate risks, including coastal flooding and heatwaves, highlight urgency, while environmental groups urge stronger action to protect communities.

Australia’s construction sector is set for strong growth through 2030, driven by rising residential demand, data centres, and public infrastructure linked to the 2032 Olympics. Engineering work shifts from transport to utilities, supporting decarbonisation efforts. However, trade labour shortages and regional capacity issues remain key risks.

🏗️ Projects

NSW

Larvotto Resources (ASX:LRV) has begun upgrading the processing plant at its Hillgrove Project in NSW, with MACA-Interquip-Mintrex (MIQM) managing construction. The upgrade focuses on secondary crushing and tailings filtration, progressing through October alongside civil works. Commissioning and production restart are planned for mid-2026. The project aims to annually produce 40,500 oz of gold and 4,878 t of antimony. Larvotto positions Hillgrove as a key Western supplier of critical minerals amid record prices.

Hydrostor has secured AUD 82.6 million from Export Development Canada to support its 200 MW Silver City Energy Storage Centre in Broken Hill, NSW. Using advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES), the project will store renewable energy in a repurposed mine, providing over eight hours of storage for 50+ years.

QLD

Almost $60 million is earmarked for improvement projects at Mackay Airport, including a terminal upgrade to commence in January 2026. A major runway overlay, expanded car parking facilities and ongoing commercial development at the Milton Precinct are included in the record infrastructure program. 

Atmos Renewables' Teebar BESS is a 400 MW / 1.6 GWh battery project near Gympie, QLD, set to begin construction in 2026. It will connect to the grid via the Teebar Creek Substation. Wärtsilä was selected as the BESS provider. The project secured CIS funding in September 2025.

SA

Renascor Resources has begun building a purified spherical graphite (PSG) demonstration facility in Adelaide. The facility will process graphite from its Siviour deposit using a continuous, acid-free method. This will allow the company to test and refine its purification process before scaling up. PSG is crucial for lithium-ion batteries and other high-tech uses. Commissioning is set for Q4 2025, and Renascor aims to establish a vertically integrated battery anode business in South Australia.

TAS

Tasmania’s planning body has slammed the proposed AFL stadium at Macquarie Point, saying that the stadium would be a poor investment and would have unacceptable impacts on Hobart’s landscape.

Tasmania’s most innovative engineers and engineering projects have been named at the 2025 Engineers Australia Excellence Awards – People and Projects at the Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart overnight. 

VIC

A $2.73 million upgrade to Sale Hospital’s historic Community Services Building is underway, funded by Victoria’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund. The project will modernise workspaces, enhance structural integrity, and improve facilities for healthcare workers, patients, and students. It supports essential services and short-term accommodation for visiting health professionals in Gippsland.

WA

A prime block of land in Mosman Park overlooking the Swan River, that recently sold to an aged care facility for $56 million, has been rezoned to allow for higher density development.

Construction of Alkimos Central’s first stage is set to begin in late 2025, following a $33 million land deal between the WA Government and Centuria Capital. The 2.4ha site near Alkimos Station will include a supermarket, childcare centre, medical services, and retail outlets, forming part of a major long-term development.

Real estate group Centuria has struck a deal with the state government to build the first stage of a $33 million retail precinct in Perth’s north.

🧰 Construction Au Other

With above-average rainfall forecast across eastern Australia, construction sites face risks like surface pooling and groundwater intrusion. Effective dewatering—using methods like sump pumping, wellpoints, or deepwells—is vital for safety and progress. Site assessment, proper water treatment, and early expert support help ensure compliance and prevent costly delays.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) said on the 18th that it selected 20 specialized startups in smart construction (AI field) through the “2025 win-win startup and venture support program in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).”

Women like Emily Roebling and Zaha Hadid shaped global cities—but more female AEC leaders will emerge only if the industry makes space for them. Meanwhile, AI adoption in construction is rising (now 37%), but progress is slow due to tight margins and data complexity. On the tech front, new lidar systems help detect methane leaks, offering major savings and environmental benefits.

TIER IV, a pioneer in open-source software for autonomous driving, is collaborating with Komatsu and EARTHBRAIN to develop autonomous technology for construction equipment. The collaboration will focus on autonomous operation of Komatsu's articulated and rigid dump trucks for civil engineering and quarry sites in Japan, aiming for a practical use in fiscal 2027.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

A new report from the Australian Conservation Foundation and University of Melbourne maps Australia's best sites for renewable energy developments, that mutually protect threatened plants and wildlife.

📖 Miscellaneous

Melbourne’s train refranchising covers the long-term operations and maintenance the train network. The network comprises: 16 lines 227 stations 429 trains 17 depots The franchise terms is expected to go up to 15 years, with options for extension.

Cairns Regional Council has released an ambitious roadmap to create thriving neighbourhoods, more housing choice, resilient infrastructure, and a stronger economy. With the city’s population expected to grow by 72,000 people by 2050, the Towards 2050: Growth Strategy sets out the community’s expectations for the next 25 years and ensures Cairns remains one of the most liveable and sustainable cities in Australia, the Council said in a statement.

Australia’s new 2035 emissions target of 62–70% reduction is ambitious but likely insufficient without stronger policies. Current government efforts rely heavily on subsidies and regulations, which are costly and slow. Experts argue reintroducing a carbon price would better drive market-led decarbonisation, boost private investment, and help meet or exceed targets efficiently.

👷‍♀️ Tradies and Resource

More than 600 people gathered for the Rail Industry Awards Australia and New Zealand in Sydney on Wednesday, recognising the outstanding achievements of the industry in 2024-25. The awards celebrated excellence and innovation across 16 individual and organisational categories, showcasing the people, projects and initiatives that are shaping the future of rail.

Engineers Australia says today’s Federal Government announcement of a 2035 emissions reduction target of 62–70 per cent must be matched with investment in engineering skills and solutions. 

Construction job ads rose 1.3% month-on-month in August, with Trades & Services up 1.4% and Engineering up 0.4%. The sector grew 3.6% year-on-year, driven by strong demand in Victoria and New South Wales. This reflects ongoing recovery and increased hiring ahead of upcoming projects.

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